Bigger tanks are easier myth or truth?
- Thread starter Bosha
- Start date
briankmarsh1980
I'm a member of **!!!!!!
the smaller the tank the harder to maintain is true!!!!!!!
its all about water volume the more water you have the more stable a tank will be
its all about water volume the more water you have the more stable a tank will be
BCreefmaker
New member
IMO it is 85-90% true larger tanks are better.
Pros:
Stability.
Lower cost per gallon then smaller setups.
Cons:
Higher overall cost.
When they fail it can be much more damage.
Pros:
Stability.
Lower cost per gallon then smaller setups.
Cons:
Higher overall cost.
When they fail it can be much more damage.
Bosha
New member
Thank you all for the quick replies. Well, it looks like I'll keep the 40 breeder and do like I've read so many times...take it slow and exercise patience for which I find the hardest.
I'd like the end result to just appear. Maybe I'll print pictures and tape them to the outside of the tank in the meantime. :beer:
I'd like the end result to just appear. Maybe I'll print pictures and tape them to the outside of the tank in the meantime. :beer:
AquariumKingdom
New member
Larger tanks are easier to maintain but have greater initial costs, lighting, rock, sand, etc ...
But once running require less of everything.
But once running require less of everything.
cloak
New member
Not in my opinion. It all depends on U...
I think this use to be true, but with the explosion of the Internet and all of its information(i.e other people's experience), both can be just as easy.
Actually, my 70g is more demanding than my daughter's 7g. I can go months without changing the water in her tank, and he sees no algae growth or bad signs. I fight algae weekly in my tank.
Throw in all the extra equipment in the big tank, and it's hard to say that bigger is easier. Obviously the bigger the volume the more room for error, but with auto-top off and a $100 controller for lights and temperature, small tanks can be a piece of cake if you aren't over stocked. For the record, I'm not advocating no water changes for months. She doesn't have any demanding corals, so that helps me get away with it. I don't understand how she gets literally no algae. It's really not fair.
Mark
Actually, my 70g is more demanding than my daughter's 7g. I can go months without changing the water in her tank, and he sees no algae growth or bad signs. I fight algae weekly in my tank.
Throw in all the extra equipment in the big tank, and it's hard to say that bigger is easier. Obviously the bigger the volume the more room for error, but with auto-top off and a $100 controller for lights and temperature, small tanks can be a piece of cake if you aren't over stocked. For the record, I'm not advocating no water changes for months. She doesn't have any demanding corals, so that helps me get away with it. I don't understand how she gets literally no algae. It's really not fair.
Mark
rovster
New member
I would say false. My first and only tank has been a 14 gallon biocube, and I have to say it's been a lot easier than I thought. I'm in the planning stages of a larger tank so I'll let you know, LOL. Honestly though, I think it depends on how prepared/informed you are and what you are intending to do. If you are planning an SPS dominant nano as a first tank, I say that's ultra difficult. If you want a nano with just fish or easier corals, I say it's pretty easy as long as you have a good idea of what you need to do.
In theory, big tanks are more forgiving of ERRORS on your part. That is the only advantage.
Knowing what I know now, I'd say something in the 25-55 gallon range would be pretty easy from a maintenance standpoint.
In theory, big tanks are more forgiving of ERRORS on your part. That is the only advantage.
Knowing what I know now, I'd say something in the 25-55 gallon range would be pretty easy from a maintenance standpoint.
Lynnmw1208
New member
I would say true. The bigger the tank the more stability you have with the water. 1 gallon evaporation is a lot different in my 125 gallon than say a 10 gallon tank. The salinity would rise much quicker in a smaller tank with water evaporation.
It does have a higher initial cost for bigger tanks. Not necessarily more work though. I use a mag float for my glass, and do a 30% water change (30 gallons) once a month.
It does have a higher initial cost for bigger tanks. Not necessarily more work though. I use a mag float for my glass, and do a 30% water change (30 gallons) once a month.
Agu
Premium Member
It depends on the aquarist.
A small tank properly maintained can be pretty easy. A large tank not maintained can be a nightmare. Advice used to be a 55 or bigger. With the information available now I'd say a 20+ gallon tank is the new minimum for a new aquarist if you've done your homework.
jmo,
A small tank properly maintained can be pretty easy. A large tank not maintained can be a nightmare. Advice used to be a 55 or bigger. With the information available now I'd say a 20+ gallon tank is the new minimum for a new aquarist if you've done your homework.
jmo,
the price to take care of a 125 reef from a pro service is around 250$ a month, but can easily go higher. The price for a 20 is more like 50 to 75. Thats pretty much the end of story as far as explaining the difference in amount of work. AS far as ease of keeping- a small tank reacts more quickly to changes and problems- a large tank reacts more slowly. You do have more time to notice problems in the larger tank- but it takes longer to fix them as well. Just take either slow and deliberate- and you will not have problems.
csarkar001
New member
i made the mistake of buying a tank whose depth is longer than my arm. now i cannot easily reach the bottom without a special tool. and cleaning it is much harder too. lesson learned.
tebstan
New member
I started with a 90g and then went to a 1.5. The nano is a piece of cake! But only because I had the bigger one first, to learn from, to swipe livestock from, and to send livestock back to when it got too big.
When I first set up my 90 it was a lot of work and I wondered if I had gone overboard. But now, a few years in, I'm ready to go bigger.
Although, I think I will always have a tiny tank around somewhere.
Big tanks ultimately give you more room to play. When you're new, you walk into a good store and want one of everything! After a while with a big tank, you've had one of everything. After a while you'll know you're own tastes well enough to know what you would really put in a little tank without jilting yourself out of something cool.
When I started in this hobby, I couldn't understand why someone would spend over $100 on something that was less than 3 gallons! Now I know.
When I first set up my 90 it was a lot of work and I wondered if I had gone overboard. But now, a few years in, I'm ready to go bigger.
Although, I think I will always have a tiny tank around somewhere.Big tanks ultimately give you more room to play. When you're new, you walk into a good store and want one of everything! After a while with a big tank, you've had one of everything. After a while you'll know you're own tastes well enough to know what you would really put in a little tank without jilting yourself out of something cool.
When I started in this hobby, I couldn't understand why someone would spend over $100 on something that was less than 3 gallons! Now I know.
agreeive?fish
New member
6 of 1 and a half dozen of the other,
small tanks or large tanks each have their respective pros and cons
then you throw in the positives and negatives of your live animals for each type of system, stocking levels ect and now you have a whole new set of pros and cons for each type of system
there are just too many variables to make a blanket statement that one size tank is better than a different size tank
now if you take a 30g with 1 royal gramma compared to a 210g with 7 royal grammas with the same lighting per gallon, the same percentage of dt volume to sump volume, the same percentage of skimming per system volume, the same percentage of water movement per system volume..ie make all varriables exactly the same for each system relative to system size the i would say that larger tanks are easier overall but you will still have uncontrollable variables that are gonna make system 1 more favorable on aspect A but system 2 is gomma be more favorable on aspect B
small tanks or large tanks each have their respective pros and cons
then you throw in the positives and negatives of your live animals for each type of system, stocking levels ect and now you have a whole new set of pros and cons for each type of system
there are just too many variables to make a blanket statement that one size tank is better than a different size tank
now if you take a 30g with 1 royal gramma compared to a 210g with 7 royal grammas with the same lighting per gallon, the same percentage of dt volume to sump volume, the same percentage of skimming per system volume, the same percentage of water movement per system volume..ie make all varriables exactly the same for each system relative to system size the i would say that larger tanks are easier overall but you will still have uncontrollable variables that are gonna make system 1 more favorable on aspect A but system 2 is gomma be more favorable on aspect B
